


Han's Bane

by Anonymous



Series: The Blossoms of Time [2]
Category: Chinese History RPF, Historical RPF
Genre: F/M, Hàn Dynasty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-20
Updated: 2015-11-20
Packaged: 2018-05-02 13:41:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5250248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Expecting to live her life as a lowly court lady Hua Xia is both thrilled and very surprised when the newly crowned Emperor Wu takes her as a concubine. While loved by many she finds her conflict with Grand Empress Dowager Dou may cause a little trouble...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Han's Bane

Hua Xia gave a sigh as her flute left her lips. She had been playing since dawn, the same lament over and over again. Practising, adding, changing. Playing her flute was more eventful than anything that had every actually happened to her. Her father was a lowly court official, so low that no one knew his name while her Mother came from a very similar family. Her elder brother and just got into the same business and had no interest in making a name for himself. Her younger sister spent her time doing much the same as Xia, changing notes and adding music. Xia was perhaps the highest in the family and it was all thanks to the flute that her father had given her years before.

When she was seven years old her Father had given her the flute and told her to practise and practise and practise. No instruction on how, just to do it and work it out for herself. She had complained and begged for some insight on how to play the small tube of wood but had been denied again and again. When she finally gave in she sat in the palace garden's, doing nothing but practise. Gradually she learnt, it took many years but by eleven she had mastered the notes and her Father finally gave her music to play from. By the time she was fourteen she had mastered all of these sheets and could play upon request - which had become her work about the court.

Empress Dou, or as she was now Grand Empress Dowager Dou, had always had a taste for well played music and, having heard the girl's mastery of the flute asked her to come and play for her. She was mourning the death of her eldest son and for a year Xia had slowly written a piece for the Empress Dowager. It had taken time and almost all of it had been changed since it had been originally written. Yet now, perhaps it was finished. It should be. Only a few hours ago the fifteen year old Liu Che was crowned as Emperor of Han.

While practising Hua Xia noticed someone walking about the Gardens. How odd, she was sure the only ones to frequent these parts were Empress Dou and herself, what would anyone be doing here? Ah, perhaps it was just a gardener. At this thought Hua Xia continued playing, reciting the part of the lament she was finally completing. Quiet footsteps continued about the Garden, seeming to encircle Hua Xia, stalking her like a wolf and it's prey. Hua Xia's fingers continued to dance over the flute as the footsteps made their accompaniment while her eyes acted as the silent concerto, looking for this hidden player.

All of a sudden they appeared, and so fine and regal they were! Hua Xia's lip froze on her flute and she could nothing but stare at the person. This wasn't just a person however and Hua Xia was entranced by the golden clothes and exquisite jewels that seemed to encrust their very soul. She slowly set the flute down and slipped off the rock she had been sat on, her knees making too loud a thump as they hit the ground. Hua Xia slowly bowed her head, her hands shaking even though they had the entire ground to support them. The person leant down and pressed a hand on her shoulder,  
“Please, don't, Lady Hua” they said. Hua Xia gave a regretful look,  
“I'm sorry, I should not have offended you, Huangdi.” 

He helped her stand and smiled at her,  
“You haven't at all Lady Hua! In fact, you've probably shown me too much respect.” Hua Xia smiled a little, feeling her cheeks colour,  
“I'm sure you can never quite breach the gates of too much respect for the Emperor of China.” Wu roared with laughter,  
“Perhaps! Perhaps!” He laughed, “but in this case, I say you have.” Hua Xia smiled,  
“And for that I am sorry.” 

“You certainly are humble aren't you” Emperor Wu smiled, “how old are you Lady Hua?”  
“15” she answered, her cheeks colouring lightly.  
“You are the same age as I am Lady Hua, it does surprise me” Emperor Wu laughed, he then changed the subject, “beautiful day, isn't it?” Hua Xia nodded,  
“It is.” 

“Are you scared of something?” Emperor Wu asked, perplexed as to why the girl was being so awkward. Hua Xia said nothing and looked away, her cheeks only becoming more red.  
“There's nothing to be scared of, I'm no truly higher being really, just a person like you” Emperor Wu reassured her, placing a hand on her arm.  
“But I am a descendant of Wang Ma, the woman who tried to overthrow your dynasty. Surely it better that you do not acquaint yourself with me” Hua Xia answered, moving away from his touch, “I have her blood so I am hardly a person to you.”

Emperor Wu placed the hand he'd had on her arm to his heart, looking rather hurt. How could a girl his age be so conscious of her heritage? Anyway, Wang Ma had been dead for almost 40 years, she was all but forgotten by the Han court. Perhaps she would be a good story for Sima Tan's history book, nothing better and nothing worse. Yet here, in front of him, was a teenage girl ashamed of her Great Grandmother as if she were here, still doing wrong.  
“Wang Ma is no longer here. The Han must value your family if you are still here to this day.”

Hua Xia looked up, too surprised to keep looking at the dull floor feeling embarrassed. That may well have been true, having never come to the girl's mind. Why hadn't Wang Ma's family been killed? Why hadn't Wang Ma herself? Finding she had been staring too long she once again looked at the ground, pulling her hands back into her sleeves, only her flute visible. Yet she couldn't help but want to look up again. To look at Emperor Wu, take in every detail about him. 

She got her wish. Emperor Wu moved forward and gently tipped up her chin so she had to look at him. At first she tried to look the other way but he just did the same again, only this time he smiled at her and Hua Xia found herself transfixed. His eyes were almost black, yet gentle tints of brown danced about his irises. His eyes were of one who wished only for the best...but he would do it by all means. A Chaotic good. His skin was of a deep tone, marked by early teenage years still. His smile was gentle, radiant of his intentions of good for all.

Emperor Wu was much the same. He couldn't help but notice that Hua Xia shook as he looked at her and wondered if she still thought of herself as some kind of threat to him. If that was truly the case she wouldn't be here, neither would her family. He moved his hand and lifted some of her onyx hair, running his hand down until it once again fell to her shoulder. Her eyes were hazel, reminding him of Autumn, calm and cool. Gentle, hidden temper. Though painted over he could see that her skin was just the same as his, a rich tone common to the area but never sought after. 

“Huangdi!” Called a voice. A voice that Hua Xia and Emperor both knew very well. Hua Xia quickly stepped away and sat on the same wall.  
“Y-yes Grandmother?” He called back, going a little red and looking rather annoyed. Thank you for ruining the moment. Hua Xia allowed herself a small smile and then brought the flute up to her lips once again and began to play. Yes the piece was finished now.

Empress Dou, having found them from the call of her Grandson's voice, watched the girl as she played. Slow, her fingers merely walked across the the flute, they had no need to run or dance. Gradually it began to speed up, to show the passing time of prosperity under Wen and Jing's reigns. The solitary golden ages after the depression on the court inflicted by Empress Lu Zhi and Lady Wang Ma. All the young deaths and murders swept away, their poor souls taken to a much better place. A descent once again as the first Emperor fell and a second gradual climb as the next rose. Hua Xia's fingers danced their way through Emperor Jing's reign with great elegance, inciting all those who watch. Finally they slowed one last time, to make way for the Emperor that was now stood beside her.

Yet Empress Dou said nothing to Hua Xia as she finished the song she had tirelessly worked on since the same time a year before. She gave the girl a small smile but then sent her away, not wanting to discuss with her grandson in front of a lowly court girl. Hua Xia felt some what foolish as she made her way back inside, she shouldn't have expected any praise from the Grand Empress Dowager, she was simply too important for Hua Xia.

“Good morning sweet heart” Hua Xun smiled at his daughter as she came back into the family's rooms, having disappeared while they had been attending to various things that needed their attention, “odd of you not to leave a note.”  
“Sorry Father” Hua Xia sighed, “it didn't cross my mind, I'm always in the same place.” Hua Xun shook his head,  
“It's fine, come in and get yourself some breakfast, we're about to eat.”

Sat around a short table were Hua Xia's mother, sister and brother. Hua Xia's mother, Ma Yu, was a very beautiful woman for her status. She had deep brown eyes and easily paled skin while the hair style she wore framed her face with jet black hair. She was wearing a light green Ruqun, though the skirt was a deep red, not too dissimilar to the one that Xia was wearing. Her mother had a lovely smile, it was very white and bright. She cared a great deal about her appearance and it paid off.

Hua Xia's elder brother, Hua Zi, was two years older than Hua Xia and a big man and something of a gentle giant. He was a trained captain and was just waiting for an opportunity to finally get into the army. He looked just like Hua Xun had in his youth. Zi was a giant, towering over many in the court, including the Emperor himself. He had big arms and big legs and his clothes were too tight. Yet he was a very gentle man, he loved animals and had been known for keeping birds he had caught rather than killing them like his friends would. 

Hua Xia's younger sister, Hua Shi, was two years younger than Hua Xia and a tiny girl and quite the little devil. Of course she'd come across that way around their parents or really any of the adults but to Xia and Zi she was a nightmare. She used to take Zi's birds away and let them fly away, which always upset him because he was scared that they would be caught and killed. She also loved to hide Xia's flute just before she left to go and play to Empress Dou and would burst into tears whenever Xia would shout at her for it. Hua Shi was also very small and used this against Zi, screaming that he'd hit her when she let one of his birds go. Usually Zi would end up in tears.

Hua Xun had just sat down as Hua Xia took off the extra top she'd been wearing, it may have been mid year but it was hardly warm in the mornings. Hua Xun was an old man, yet he was only 38 years old. He, like his father before him and Zi who followed him, had never risen above Captain in the Han army. During the Chu-Han contention the Hua had been under the Han from the start. His old soldier habits had taken a tool on his body and in his left hand he had severe arthritis, he could hardly write any more and spent most of his time tending to other's needs that he could manage. There were lines on his face, great laugh lines yet greater frown lines. Yet when he smiled he had great dimples, having become some what pudgy since retiring.

Breakfast was a simple one, nothing special at all and afterwards Zi took Xia to see the new bird that he had caught. It was a pheasant, a male one. It's face was blue and the end of it's nose was red, while greens and yellows adored it's useless wings. They were both broken and it was sat beside Zi's bed, all huddled together.  
“They tried to kill it and I stole it” Zi mumbled, looking rather upset by the bird's injuries, “they tried to take it back and it's wings were broken.” Xia sighed and rushed back to her room, took one of her older sashes before running back in.  
“Here, this might help it” she smiled, kneeling beside the bird. Zi frowned at her and knelt beside her, watching as she wrapped the sash around the bird, so it's wings were pinned to it.  
“It will help them heal” Xia smiled. She then took an old box from under Zi's little table that had all of his reports and books on it and placed it beside his bed. She filled it with old blankets and then slowly lifted the pheasant and placed it down among the blankets, wrapping it up. The bird closed it's eyes and settled down, looking much more content than it had been. Zi gave Xia a big grin and thanked her with a hug.

“Oh! Xia! There you are!” Called a very cheerful voice belonging to Lady Xiao Li, the mother of Xia's best friend, Xiao Yueying. Hua Xia had taken to walking about again, bored of the confinements of her family's rooms. Xia whurled around and smiled brightly at Lady Li. Like her mother Lady Li was a very beautiful woman and the two had passed on their never ending friendship to their daughters.  
“Is something the matter Lady Li?”  
“Well, I was just wondering if perhaps for tonight you may like to stay with us. We can have a celebration now the Emperor has been crowned” Lady Li beamed, “I've already asked your parents.”

“So! There's been some talk from the Emperor” Yueying giggled, she was a dancer in training and was very close to the Emperor so she heard all the gossip, “that he saw a beautiful woman, playing a flute!”  
“Are you suggesting it's me?” Hua Xia replied, looking rather confused. Hua Xia looked hardly half as beautiful as her mother, so surely it couldn't be. Yueying nodded,  
“He said that she was humble, more humble than she should have been, and that she was cursed by heritage.” Hua Xia went a little red, it had to be her, no one had cursed heritage like the Hua did. Yueying suddenly grabbed her shoulders,  
“Don't you see! The Emperor thinks you're beautiful, maybe he'll take you as a concubine!”

If anything Hua Xia was horrified by this prospect. She didn't want to be the Emperor's concubine, she'd much rather remain in her place, playing her flute.


End file.
